The French Way to Urban Regeneration. Tangible and Intangible Assets in the Grands Projets de Ville

The Politique de la Ville, grounded on an idea of equality that has not withdrawn despite political changes and economic downturns, was launched in the late 1970s, aiming at reducing territorial inequalities within disadvantaged neighborhoods dating back to the second post-war period.

In the Communauté urbaine of Lyon recently established as a Métropole and provided with a Strategic Plan (SCOT), several challenging generations of PdV have been set up addressing the traditional domains of social housing and urban environment and supporting widespread access to education and cultural facilities. In the deprived neighborhood of La Duchère, high standard urban renewal was deemed able to break down the invisible barriers of the social stigma by attracting new people and activities and promoting social inclusion.

Beyond the questionable and controversial displacement of the previous inhabitants, the long-standing mobilization of the PdV in La Duchère features the ideal fieldwork to assess whether and to what extent alongside current regeneration tools intangible assets have been releasing benefits to the community.